


A Threat And A Promise

by inkyandness



Category: Nomad of Nowhere (Web Series)
Genre: Bar - Setting, F/F, Flirting, Moon, Nomad (Nomad of Nowhere) - Freeform, Pining, Toth-centric, Useless Lesbians, Useless Sapphics, au where alcohol is just root beer because we gotta keep it pg kids!!, naughty drunk men have to face Toth's stabby axe of death, the moon is beautiful and I love her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 20:25:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14984930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkyandness/pseuds/inkyandness
Summary: In the darkness of night, Skout and Toth search for the Nomad in a small town, and unfortunately, have to look to some of the town's citizens for assistance. Also, the moon is mentioned a lot, and Skout is both tired and cute.





	A Threat And A Promise

Toth had found that the best time to search for the Nomad was at night. This was for many reasons: the sun had gone down, which meant that the air felt less tight and thick and suffocating and _hot._ After all, she did _not_ need another case of heatstroke on her hands. There also weren’t as many people out, which meant nobody could question her rash thinking and antisocial attitude, and therefore Toth could perform some of her more questionable methods of searching with only Skout’s moralizing to stop her. And lastly, if most people were asleep, that meant the Nomad probably was as well, which meant that was the perfect opportunity to get the drop on him.

Indeed, even while wandering around a strange town that Skout told her was called “Bloom,” (which, despite the name, bore no organic plantlife of any kind), it was still a nice night to stare up at the twinkling lights above and the moon, with her soft light and gentle beauty, above her.

Skout seemed to think so, too.

She kind of zoned out when it came to her babbling at this point, but it was a pleasant enough sound that Toth could relax around it, which, by the by, was no easy feat, and despite not hearing a word, she could tell with the way she wildly gestured and the way her bright green eyes lit up that she was excited to just be out at night.

Toth had found that Skout before joining her on expeditions like this lived on a small ranch with her parents, and because she had to live for many years on a tight schedule that demanded a routine day in and day out, the littlest things that might be considered “rebellious” or “breaking the rules” filled Skout with a sense of both nervousness and childlike glee. Things like…Going out late at night, for instance. When you have the inability to do anything, the ability to do even the most mundane things becomes the most remarkable feeling in the world.

“Where do you think the Nomad… _Would_ be hiding this late at night?” Skout asked, pulling Toth’s attention back on the matter at hand. How foolish it was for her to allow her mind to wander like this, as commander, she must stay firm and concentrated on her mission at all times, for she is the leader, and she has people that rely on her as an image of strength and-

_Focus._

“Well, naturally, most citizens wouldn’t be equipped to deal with as dangerous a felon as the Nomad, so chances are they wouldn’t be welcomed into their homes, much less their town at all. We’ll just walk towards the outskirts of the town and look for areas the Nomad could hide for the night.”

“Oh! Like animal skulls and caves!” Skout exclaimed, as quietly as she could in a manner that still displayed her excitement. I think there might be some caves at the other end of Bloom.”

“And in the morning, we’ll wait for him to emerge from one of the cave entrances and then we’ll get him.” Toth pounded her fist into the palm of her hand for emphasis, but the gesture made Skout jump a bit afterwards.

“Sorry! I get jumpy late at night, you never know what could be lurking…” She gave Toth an uneasy smile.

“Don’t worry, Skout. I’ll be here to protect you.” Toth said, which caused Skout to giggle slightly. Toth didn’t understand that. “That’s a threat and a promise.”

“I never doubted you, my _captain,_ oh, _my captain.”_ Skout said with a laugh chasing her words. Toth sighed and gave her a small smile to indicate that, yes, this was indeed good-natured, and Skout continued to chatter at her side about things. Things like the sun and the moon and the stars and her feelings and her books and her everything.

Toth still wasn’t listening to the words, but the affection she felt towards the melody of a rambling, somewhat stuttery, nervous twang stayed the same.

* * *

If the moon had looked good an hour or two ago, she looked even better now. The moon was brighter, which allowed for shadows to be casted on the clouds in a way that gave a gentler ambiance than before. Skout was getting tired, which caused her to mumble a bit when she talked and also caused to her to cling to Toth’s arm to “keep her grounded,” as she said. The knives seemed totally unnecessary in this strange quiet moment of Toth’s life, when she had so few as it was.

Toth had never felt so at peace. Was it happiness? Perhaps, a quiet, calm kind of happiness, that left her not filled with joy, but simply content. It was a nice feeling. A kind feeling. The kind of feeling that Toth wished she could feel more often when she was in those moments.

Oh, was that about to change.

“Toph…Toth…Toth! I think we might be lost…” Skout mumbled, but soon was roused from her drowsy state. “The map says it’s a straight shot, but there’s all these buildings in the way, did we make a wrong turn or something?”

“If it’s a straight shot, we shouldn’t have turned…” Toth muttered.

“Maybe the map’s old.” She pondered. “Maybe we could get a new one at a trading post or something.”

“When are one of those going to be open at this time of night?”

That was when Skout and Toth turned their heads towards a loud bunch of sounds that had before then just meshed into the environment, inseparable from the crickets or Skout’s talking.

There was the sound of faint music, laughter, and a bit like broken glass crashing and cracking.

“Maybe we can’t find a map, but we might be able to get some directions!” Skout said, still eager. “C’mon!” And she ran ahead. 

Well, there was no stopping her now. Toth knew this, and so she merely rubbed her hand across her forehead, and trudged after her dear friend, who she knew was too kind and too good to mix with this kind of crowd.

It was a bit of a judgmental statement, but she supposed she had the right to be judge-y when she walked into the establishment and saw a few people passed out on the counter, a few arm wrestling, some sobbing, one dead, and a barkeep who seemed intent on polishing a single glass that was clearly already clean. 

It appeared that Skout had fit her way into the club nicely, given the way that she seemed to be talking eagerly to a burly man with a brown beard who seemed a drink away from drinking himself under the table. 

Toth didn’t like this scenario. Oh no, she did not like this scenario one bit, but she also trusted Skout to use her head and be smart in this situation. Skout was capable, and Toth mothering her all the time would only lead to Skout being less capable. And besides, Skout’s non-confrontational, friendly attitude might be able to open up some otherwise closed-off folks than the way Toth does business, and might keep them from getting run out of town.

Toth knew these things, Toth knew all of these things, so she did the thing any smart but respectful friend would do, and sat a few seats away, and ordered a hard, tall drink of the most expired sarsaparilla they had.

“Rough night for you, huh, sweetheart?” The barkeep remarked.

“If you talk to all women like this expect an axe to the face before you can even dare say grace.” She remarked, taking a long, hard drink before slamming it on the table.

“My apologies, ma’am. Just trying to be open, tis’ all, but I won’t call you that again.”

“Yeah, well, I liked it better when you had your mouth closed.” Toth paused, and sighed. “I am searching for the Nomad of Nowhere, and I’ve recently gotten wind that he’s been a scourge on your town.”

“Well, he didn’t stop at my bar, that’s for sure. Otherwise these glasses could wash themselves, ha ha!” Toth didn’t laugh. “I think he might’ve left town, but to do that, you’d have to get through the maze of caves. It can take a few days to get through those things.”

“Well then, I guess I’d better get started.” Toth said, “what’s the fastest way to get from here to the caves?”

“Go back behind the building, take 3 rights, a left, and another right, and you’ll find them.” The barkeep said, before looking off to the side, and running off to fix a drink.

“Thank you sir and, uh,” Toth began, not sure where she was ending that sentence. Perhaps it was with an apology? Maybe with a compliment that could be seen as an apology? Who’s to say. However she was going to end that conversation before, it didn’t matter now, and so, Toth was about to give Skout the heads up and let the two of them leave this place before she realized-

“So you run with that angry lady?” The drunken man asked.

\- they were talking about her. This…This could be interesting, but Toth didn’t like the vibes this guy was giving off, so she just sat on her stool, and listened in.

Toth felt kinda bad for doing this, but Skout could always find her if she needed her, she was pretty sure she was visible in the bar, but the lighting in here _was_ pretty bad…Best to stick around to see if the man knew anything about the Nomad, or if Skout needed help.

“The angry lady…Oh! She’s not so bad! Toth is the bravest, coolest, prettiest person I know!”

…Annnnd that was when Toth realized that the drink the barkeep was pulled away from their basically finished talk to make was for her. Skout had always been such a lightweight, even on sarsaparilla, but it really was only one or two sips that loosened her lips, if only just a bit. That must be where the “prettiest” bit came from anyway…Where did she even get that one?

“Oh really?” Said the guy, leaning forward into Skout’s space, she leaned back the same amount he leaned in.

“Really.”

“Well, maybe you just haven’t met that special, _even cooler, braver, prettier person yet._ ” He said, mocking her twang.

“W-well, there isn’t anybody who-“

“Are you _stuttering_ little girl? Are you nervous? Are you _scared?_ ”

The drunken man put his hand on her thigh, and that alone caused Toth to dig into her boot and pull out a stabbing knife, the general purpose all knives have. She had to strain to hear what the man had to say next, but what he did say at the same time chilled her to the bone and filled her heart with a strange kind of righteous fire.

_“Good. I like ‘em scared.”_

That was when Toth dropped the knife entirely, walked to Skout’s side, and as casually as possible, pulled out an axe.

“Get any closer and I’ll remove your head from your shoulders, scum.” Toth brought the axe to his throat, and the whole bar went quiet. Naturally, pulling out any kind of weapon and directly threatening someone should alert most people that “you are dangerous” and that “do not mess with me,” but that “most” category did not count those who were stupid enough to pick a fight or the inebriated, and unfortunately, this man seemed to be a combination of both.

Unfortunately for who, you gotta wonder.

“Relax ‘hoss. She started talking to _me-“_

“And you are going to release your hand and stop talking to her _immediately._ ”

The man just laughed, and Toth brought the axe close enough to his throat to draw the tiniest droplets of blood. Not enough to hurt, but to threaten. He released his hand.

“Whoa, lady. _Chill out,_ are you her _girlfriend_ or something?” The man oozed, putting emphasis on every syllable of the word.

“That’s none of your-“ Toth began.

“YES!” Skout exclaimed, suddenly, wrapping her previously touched arm around Toth’s shoulders. “Yes! This is my girlfriend, my girlfriend Toth.” She smiled.

“That’s _Captain_ Toth, to you.” Toth said, playing along. Skout got the jist of it.

“My girlfriend, Captain Toth, servant to Don Paragon, VERY GOOD AT STABBING-“

The drunken man’s face paled, no longer were his bulbous cheeks painted pink. “Geez’ Louise, guys, I’m _sorry,_ alright?” 

“Ma’am, if you’re going to start fights in my humble establishment, I must ask you to leave. Immediately.” The barkeep said, his once passive tone gone.

Toth and Skout are forcefully removed from Bloom’s Bar. 

* * *

After that, the walk was quiet. Skout followed Toth’s lead and trailed behind her.

The silence was unbearable.

Usually Toth could stand silence, she liked silence, but too many ideas had sprung to her head about the previous ordeal. The bar. The creep. The ooze. The axe. The girlfriends. There were so many variables here, and she wasn’t exactly sure how to breach any of them, any of the topics without setting off some alarms and red flags.

Luckily, Skout always knew how to do these kind of things.

“Sorry about the, you know, girlfriends thing…I thought that might get him to leave me alone, and if I implied that you were a commanding officer, then he might respect your authority.”

Toth snorted at that. “Nobody respects me.” She said, recalling how often the Dandy-Lions blew her off, “but thank you. I apologize for…Not stepping in sooner.”

“Oh! No no! It’s fine, nobody could tell there was a problem until you pulled out the axe.” She giggled. “But I do have to thank you for getting that varmint away from me.”

“I said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ll be here to protect you. That is both a threat and a promise.” 

“And I thank you for it, you really are the best Toth.” Both smiled a little, and then, for the first time in a while, they stopped walking and marveled at the caves before them. The Nomad had to be hiding in these caverns, he just had to be! And when he left, they’d catch him dead in his tracks and dead to rights.

“You should get some sleep.” Toth told her companion, who was looking through one of her pocket-sized books about geological features and such.

“What about you?” She asked.

“The thrill of capturing the Nomad once and for all should keep me awake for the rest of the night.” Toth claimed, and although Skout seemed skeptical of such a claim, arguing with her was not something she was in the mood to do, so the two of them sat next to each other, Skout sprawled out on the ground, and Toth sitting up, watching and waiting with eyes less kind than they were moments ago. 

Now, the only two who were awake on the edge of this town was Toth and her strange characterization of the moon, who both was a mother and a sister and a friend to her, as she watched over Nowhere with eyes that were dark and young and kind, with a gaze that was as deep and piercing as the sea.

She had seen what Toth had done. She had seen the mistakes Toth made, and she didn’t care one bit.

Toth really did love the moon, but she couldn’t put a finger on why. Maybe it didn’t matter. Maybe, just this once, Toth could place her trust in something as much as she was forced to place trust in herself. 

Even if the moon really was a softer, younger yet wise, kinder characterization of herself, it was a start, and nobody could kill her for that.

* * *

 

Perhaps it was the long hours she spent watching and waiting for the Nomad to stroll out of that gaping maw of a cave entrance that she did. 

Perhaps it was the realization three hours in that she didn’t check the cave for other exits, and at this point was just too tired and complacent to care.

Perhaps it was the long drink of sarsaparilla she tossed back the night before.

At this point, it didn’t really matter. Toth was asleep, and the moon’s kind eyes no longer looked upon her as vividly as they did the night before, no, now the sun was beginning to rise, and it would soon shine a spotlight on Toth’s terrible mistakes, like losing her cool or the Nomad.

But for now, Toth slept. Skout slept. The sky was still too dark to be considered day, and the Nomad made his way out of the cave, which was now crawling with rock friends of all shapes and sizes and sorts. Some were stalagmites, some were stalactites, and some were just rocks. All the sorts.

He looked into the horizon, then at the bounty hunters that were asleep directly across from him. He was conflicted, although it was nice to see the two of them in a sorta liminal space of kindness and tranquility, he knew that his presence would soon change that to that of cruelty and chaos and rage.

His presence always seemed to have that effect on people, but no matter! He would find his way back to what he once was and where he once came…

But to do that, he’d have to slip away again. Slink his way across the desert before the sun rose and cast a spotlight on him and a target on his back, as well as get some ground between him, Skout, and the angry woman, despite her rage appearing less apparent now.

And so, in the calm of dawn, he did. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic wouldn't be possible without the tumblr user @return-to-stars! They suggested it to me, so I wrote it mostly in two days because I haven't written anything in SO LONG that I was beginning to actually feel guilty.
> 
> I know that it might be weird to have Toth express a strange kind of love and appreciation of the moon, going as far as to call it "she" and personify it. Pretty OOC right? Wrong. Ever WLW I've ever known, including myself, loves to talk about the moon. She's my mom, my sister, my friend, and my girlfriend all at once and I love her, guys.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> https://juliastartoons.tumblr.com


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